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Tiefling Paragon

Tieflings are humans with traces of fiendish ancestry. Although tieflings are not as powerful or as potent as full-fledged half-fiends, their touch of fiendish blood does grant them significant bonuses to their physical and mental abilities as well as some minor resistances and spell-like abilities. Although a few tieflings manage to overcome their ancestry and remain good and trustworthy individuals, most tieflings follow the dark urges tugging at them, becoming selfish, cruel, and evil as they mature. Tiefling paragons, both good and evil, are those who most successfully come to terms with their family's history. The good ones see themselves as rising above their ancestry, while the evil ones embrace its power.

Adventures

Tiefling paragons undertake adventures for the usual reasons of gaining wealth, prestige, or power. Evil tieflings, in particular, adventure to fulfill selfish desires—to gain powerful magic or find lost knowledge that will give them an advantage in some conflict. Good tiefling paragons typically adventure to prove their worth to a community, to stick with the few close companions they have managed to find, or simply to get away from the press of civilization.

Characteristics

Tiefling paragons are stealthy, deceptive, and often selfish. Trusted by few, they in turn trust no one, knowing that, no matter their behavior, they'll likely be suspected of wrongdoing as soon as any problem arises in the community. Because of such hard lessons in dealing with other races, tiefling paragons are suspicious of kindness and almost never trust that a member of another race will remain loyal or friendly once the tiefling's ancestry is known. Many tiefling paragons, even those who aren't truly evil, have an appetite for cruelty that is difficult to suppress.

Alignment

Almost all tiefling paragons are evil. Those that are not must constantly struggle against thoughts of violence and corruption, seldom knowing the peace that many other good aligned creatures take for granted.

Religion

Most tiefling paragons steer clear of religion, knowing that many followers of good deities see it as their duty to expose or attack tieflings. Evil tiefling paragons involved with evil cults (typically dedicated to powerful fiends of some kind) are an exception.

Background

Tiefling paragons learn their skills while slipping quietly through the societies of other races. They frequently multiclass as rogues, and often have similar backgrounds. A lucky few tiefling paragons have mentors and opportunities to learn in comfortable environments, but the vast majority must overcome the prejudices of those who fear the tiefling's ancestry, learning their skills among criminals and in back alleys.

Tiefling paragons do not see themselves as fellows or champions of their race. Instead, if evil, they see themselves as champions of evil and representatives of their fiendish forefathers. Good tiefling paragons seek to absolve themselves of the reputation imposed upon them by their ancestry.

Races

Tiefling paragons have widely differing attitudes about the humanoid races, depending on alignment and their experiences in the communities of different races. Although they can get along in many societies, tiefling paragons prefer large human cities, where it's generally easier to conceal their ancestry. Tiefling paragons rarely have time for dwarves, mostly because dwarves are likely to be suspicious and critical of the tiefling's presence. Conversely, they empathize with the prejudice and difficulties that half-orcs face in many civilized communities and can form friendships based on this shared perspective.

Other Classes

Tiefling paragons are happy to work with members of other classes, provided that the tiefling can manipulate events to her own ends, make off with choice treasure at opportune moments, or gather information for later use. Evil tieflings, naturally, avoid the company of paladins, but those tieflings who have dedicated themselves to good actually prefer the company of holy warriors, knowing that a paladin's word will go a long way toward assuring others that the tiefling can be trusted.

Game Rule Information

Tiefling paragons have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Because they tend to favor light armor, agile combat styles, and stealth whenever possible, Dexterity is extremely important to tiefling paragons. A high Intelligence grants the tiefling paragon access to more skills at each level, and a high Constitution helps compensate for the Hit Die lost because of the tiefling's level adjustment. Although tieflings take a racial penalty to Charisma, a good score in this ability can help those tiefling paragons who wish to conceal their nature from others and gain acceptance whenever their true nature becomes known.

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

At 1st level, one of a tiefling paragon's natural resistances to energy (fire, cold, or electricity) improves from 5 to 10. The character can choose which of her three resistances improves, but once she makes this choice it can never be altered.